Rail connection.



. H. GRASS. RAIL CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED AUG. s, 1909.

945,51 9. Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-311E111 1.

WITNESSES mun/10R Q a 5, W wfi Ami-w. a qmuu m. mmumqmm. mammm uh H.GRASS. RAIL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1909.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w L r v F L.. 4 sswvim W,

WITNESSES A TTORNE VS UNITED S IFFECE.

HENRY GRASS, OF ALVIN, TEXAS.

RAIL CONNECTION.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GRAss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alvin, county of Brazoria, State of Texas, have invented anImprovement in Rail Connections, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the usual practice to conn ct the meeting ends of railroad railsby means of heavy fish-plates and screw bolts, leaving such endsotherwise entirely unsupported between adjacent cross-ties. Inconsequence. when a train passes over the track, the end of one rail isdepressed before the other, so that the locomotive and cars have more orless vertical motion and also a rocking lateral motion, while anunpleasant noise is produced by the hammer action of the wheels. Inpassing around curves the wheels also tend to crowd laterally and hencerail displacement is more or less liable to occur.

My invention has for its object to prevent these results and others dueto the present imperfect and objectionable connection between rail endsand the lack of due support therefor.

The details of my invention will be understood by reference to thefollowing description, and to the accompanying drawing in which I Figurel is a side view of a portion of a railway track to which my inventionis applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionon the line 5 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4.& ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view similar to Fig. 1, save that it is moreextended. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are perspective views of three differentforms of metal fastenings whose construction and application will behereinafter described.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 5, the numeral 1 indicates the meeting ends ofrailroad rails, and 2 indicates cross-ties which are bedded in the usualway. Between these ties 2, I arrange other ties 3 at a lower level, andon opposite sides of the joint between the rails 1. In practice, the topof these sunken ties 3 are in the same plane with the bottom of theordinary ties 2. Upon the sunken ties 3, I lay a timber, or heavy woodenbar, 4, upon which the rails 1 lie, and to which they are firmlysecured. It is obviously necessary that the timber 4 which supports therail joint shall be securely fastened to the sunken ties 3, and for thispurpose I employ a11- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1910.

1909. Serial No. 511,661.

gular metal fastenings 5, see Fig. 6, the same being for convenience ofdistinction and in consequence of their form termed saddlepieces. Theseare preferably formed of heavy strap iron and so bent as to form asocket that receives the timber or rail support 4 and is mortised intothe same to the depth of its thickness. They may be thickened at theirlowerangles for the purpose of increasing their strength. Nails orspikes are driven through the horizontal flanges of this fastening 5 andinto the sunken ties 3, and also through the sides and top of the sameinto the timber 4:. By this means, the latter is prevented movingvertically or laterally. Each saddle-piece 5 is provided with a cut-outportion 5 which is turned over to form a hook or lip that engages theouter side of the adjacent rail base, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.This hook 5 is on the outer side of the rail and thus prevents outwardmovement or spreading of the rails. As indicated in several figures, thesunken ties 3 and the fastenings 5 secured thereto are arranged onopposite sides of the point where the rails 1 meet, but only a fewinches therefrom. The rails are connected by light fish-plates 7, but,as a further means of bracing them laterally and also securing them tothe timber 4, I employ the devices or fastenings shown in Figs. 2, 4, 7,8.

In Fig. 7, the numeral 8 indicates a plate which is bifurcated or cutout on one side, thus forming parallel arms 8 which extend down so as tolie against the side of the timher 4, and the same is provided with ahooked flange 8 which embraces the outer side of the bases of themeeting rails. In addition to this fastening 8, I employ thesupplemental plate 9, see Fig. 8, which is applied to the side of thetimber 4 between the arms 8 of the fastening 8, and its upper edgeprojects over the base flanges of the meeting rails and abuts the sidesor webs of the same. Spikes or nails secure this fastening 9 to thetimber 4. As indicated by dotted lines at 8, Fig. 7, a similar piece maybe applied on the opposite side of the fastening 8, and in such case itwill extend up over the hooked flange 8 lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination, with alined railroad rails and cross-ties whereonthey are supported and secured, of a support for the meeting ends of therails which comprises other cross-ties placed below the level of thefirst-named ties, and a bar secured thereon lengthwise of the meetingrails and beneath the same, and to which the rails are secured, as shownand described.

2. The combination, with alined railroad rails and ordinary cross-tieswhereon they are supported and secured, of a support for the meetingends of said rail, which comprises cross-ties sunk below the level ofthe first-named ties, a bar secured on the sunken ties lengthwise of therails and immediately beneath the same, and metal saddle-piecesstraddling the said bar and secured thereto and to the sunken ties,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the meeting ends of railroad rails andcross-ties arranged beneath them and at a lower level on each side ofthe joint, a bar supported on such sunken ties and arranged lengthwisebeneath the rails for supporting the same, and metal fastenings appliedover the bar and secured thereto and to the sunken ties and providedwith a hooked flange which embraces the outer flange of a rail,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the meeting ends of rails and a bar directlysupporting the same, of a brace and fastenings consisting of abifurcated metal plate secured to said bar beneath the rail ends, and asupplemental plate 9 also secured to the bar on the top and sidethereof, and its inner and upper end abutting the webs of the meetingrails, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the meeting ends of railroad rails, asupporting bar arranged lengthwise beneath them, metal saddle-piecesapplied and secured to such bar and provided with hooked flangesembracing the outer base flanges of the rails on each side of the joint,and connections and braces arranged intermediately and comprising abifurcated plate 8 secured to the top and side of said bar and having ahooked flange embracing the outer flanges of the rails, substantlally asdescribed.

H. GRASS.

Attest G. W. SHEFFIELD, N. E. DAVIS.

